Distillate distributor for hydrocarbon distillation systems



Sept. 11, 1928. 1,683,778

F. M. HESS DISTILLATE DISTRIBUTOR FOR HYDROCARBON DISTILLATION SYSTEMSOriginal Filed April 29, 1922 Patented se i... ..11, 1928.

.UNITED STATES 1,683,778 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. HESS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DISTILLAIE DISTRIBUTOR FOR HYDROCARBON DISTILLATION SYSTEMS.

Original application filed April 29, 1922, Serial No. 557,421. Dividedand this application filed November 22, 1926.

This invention relates to the art of hydro-- carbon distillation, andthe present application constitutes a division of the applicationforming the basis of Letters Patent No. 1,608,741 granted to me on'the30th day of November, 1926.

In my aforesaid patent I have disclosed a distillation plant comprisinga single large vapor box soprganized and constructed as to permitfractional distillation from a plurality of units of which it iscomposed, the several units being formed with hollow conduit wallsbetween which the crude'material flows, andthrough which superheatedsteam, residuum and vapor pass in continuous flow, said hollow wallsbeing continuous from top to bottom of the vapor box, with internalseals or traps between the several units which maintain the fractionaldistillates from the latter separate and. distinct. Co-operating withsaid vapor box I have shown a single large multiple unit condenser andheat exchanger so divided as to provide a plurality of sealed chambersconnected respectively with the several units of the vapor box; and

in cooperation with said condenser and heat exchanger I have shown amultiple distributor so constructed as to route the fractions ofdistillate to any one or more of several lines so as to either maintainall of the fractions separate or effect any desired combination of twoor more of the fractions.

The subjectnratter of the present application relates to the multipledistributor hereinabove referred to; and the same, in one practical andeflicient embodiment thereof, is illustrated in the accompanying drawingwherein Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the multiple distributor,and also through the multiple unit condenser and heat exchanger fromwhich it receives the fractional distillates Fig. 2 is an enlargedvertical section through one unit of the distributor;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a Vertical section of a leveling device employed in each ofthe flow lines from the condenser to the distributor.

Associated with the vapor box and the condenser and heat exchangerdisclosed in my former patent above noted, and receiving the condensedfractional distillates and the incondensible gases directly from said,con- Serial No. 149,915.

denser and heat exchanger, is a multiple distrlbutonformingthesubject-matter of this application, the purpose of which is to route thefractional distillates in any desired man ner; either maintaining thementirely sepa 6" plates 80 attached to the cylinder wall. 70

Equally spaced around the inner surface of the cylinder are verticaldelivery pipes 81, each of which is provided at points just above thebridge plates 80 with lateral branches or pour openings 82. On each of 7the bridge plates 80 is an annular trackway 83 preferably carryinganti-friction bearlugs 84 cooperating with a similar track85 on thelower side of an annular funnel 86.

This funnel directly underlies the delivery 80 end of a horizontal pipe76, which latter is carried into the distributor cylinder through a holein the latter. The funnel 86 has a delivery spout 87 which, by rotationof the funnel, may be brought into register with 85 the pour opening ormouth 82 of any of the pipes 81. For turning the funnel 86, the latteris preferably equipped with an internal ring gear 88, best shown in Fig.3, with which engages a pinion 89 fast on the lower 5 end of a verticalrod 90, this latter extending upwardly through'the head 78 of thedistributor cylinder and equipped with a hand wheel 91 on its upper endfor turning the same. The number of rods, pinions and inat ternal gearsemployed agrees, of course, with the number of distributing funnelsinthe distributor; five being shown in the present instance.

The several pipes 76 form outlet or de- 1% livery pipes from the severalchambers of the combined condenser and heat exchanger shown at the leftin Fig. 1, and forming the subject matter of a. companion divisionalapplication filed concurrently herewith, Se- 10f rial No. 149,914. Inthe pipes 7 6 are preferabl incorporated leveling devices L, one" ofwhich is shown in detail in Fig. 4, for regulating the height of thedistillates in the chambers of the condenser, this leveling deme Thisdistributor structure com- 65 vice being similar to that disclosed inLetters Patent No. 1,568,157 granted toine J anuary 5, 1926. t

From the foregoing it will be seen that by suitable manipulation of therotary distributor funnels, the several fractional distillates from thecondenser may all be routed through the respective delivery pipes 81, orany two or more fractions may be combined and sent oil through a singledelivery pipe, as desired. Any incondensible gases entrained with thecondensates are vented, through a pipe line Z at the top of thedistributor shell 77.

l. A distributor for routing fractional distillates, comprising acircularly grouped series of vertical discharge pipes each provided witha plurality of vertically spaced lateral branches, correspoinlingbranches of the several pipes being located in the same horizontalplanes, funnels rsitatably mounted above and coaxially with the severalhorizontal groups of branches, respectively, and each having a dischargenozzle adapted to be brought into register, by a turning movement ofsaid funnel, with any branch of its associated group, a correspondingseries of.

delivery ipes forthe material to be distributed aving their dischargeends overhangin said funnels, and independent means for rotating therespective funnels.

2. A distributor for routing fractional distillates, comprising .acircularly grouped series of vertical discharge pipes each provided witha plurality of vertically spaced lateral branches, correspondingbranches of the several pipes being located in the same horizontalplanes, bridge plates disposed between said discharge plpes beneath theseveral horizontal groups of branches and each manually operable meansfor turning the respective funnels on their traclrways.

A distributor for routing fractional distillates, comprising acircularly grouped series of vertical discharge pipes each provided witha plurality of vertically spaced lateral branches, correspondingbranches of several pipes being located in the same horizontal planes,bridge plates disposed between said discharge pipes beneath the severalhorizontal groups of branches and each formed with a circular trackway,annular funnels rotatably mounted on said trackways and each having adischarge nozzle adapted to be brought into register with any branch ofits associated group, internal gears on said annular funnels,independent operating rods extending within the respective tunnels andeach carrying a pinion meshing with the internal gear of the latter,hand wheels on the said rods, and a corresponding series of deliverypipes for the material to be distributed having their discharge endsoverhanging said funnels.

FRANCIS M. HESS.

